Reason Read: TBR takedown, Reading 1001. 1909 novel by Jack London. Eden explores socialism but refers to it as "slave morality" and Nietzschean individualism. So one of the main themes is social class, individualism versus socialism. Another is machinery. This is not my favorite book by London. I did not like how self absorbed the main character was. He was always comparing himself as better, smarter than others. In the end, Eden doesn't fit in with anyone anymore. He is disconnected from others and there is no joy in living. ( )

A great story. So much to ponder before I attempt to write about it. ( )

Certain de ses rêves, porté par sa propre confiance, aveuglé par son amour et brûlant de sa force et de sa jeunesse, Martin Eden arrivera.

Où ? ( )

Martin did some seafaring and cow-poking and rubbing rough against the law. Then in California, whoa, discovers he is smarter than everybody else and finds overwhelming and permanent confidence in himself. But no important people care except Martin. He studies books and, whoa, decides he could write better than anybody else. He writes and, whoa, he does write better than anybody else but nobody understands how good it is or will pay for it. No one important believes in him. Even his girlfriend finally gives up on him (facing a life of grinding poverty with him, a point London hardly considers). Martin is very sad but soldiers on in poverty against the unbelievers.

Martin burns out, quits writing and submits his stuff one last time, what the hell. Whoa, people start paying for his stuff, he gets celebrity and now the unbelievers come back. Martin is not having any of it because, by golly, he is the same man now whom no one believed in before. (See Philoctetes's reluctance to join battle at Troy in Sophocles.) Now he doesn't like anybody but a few poor folks he knows and relatives and very old friends, and he is generous to some of them. He detests the hypocrisy and decides to return to Tahiti to live but jumps overboard, not wanting to face even the hassle of getting set up there.

What was wrong with Martin? His exalted self-value poisoned his relations. He didn't respect a humanity in common with others. He couldn't sympathize with successful people less capable than himself. He thought he could do it all by himself. He couldn't function without his illusions. He couldn't overcome his bitterness.

This book can't hold a candle to Sea Wolf, and I don't understand the high ratings. Perhaps London, caricaturing himself as Martin Eden, rid himself of some self-pity. Remarkably, this novel was written after three of his most successful. London attributes the book as an attack on individualism, but it looks to be more like his own disillusion. ( )

Adult fiction. Like Jack's other books, this one is largely based on the authors own experiences; this one recounts his frustrations as an author trying to get published. I read this just before a visit to his farm (now a historic landmark) and because I wanted to learn more about his life (apart from the sea voyages/adventuring), I found it interesting. ( )